On the Run
by anonymous the monster
Summary: It's hello America for Maria and goodbye America for Sian Stanton. On the run for nearly two years, never staying in one place for over a month, the Stanton's are definitely a mystery. The real question is why are they running? What have they got to hide? Sarah Jane and the gang intend to find out while Sian intends to live as normal a life as she can.
1. Chapter 1: Home Sweet Home

**CHAPTER ONE: HOME SWEET HOME**

_Author's Note: Props to BBC for providing us with the Sarah Jane Adventures in the first place. Elisabeth Sladen was one of the greatest companions.  
This is actually a project I hope to be finishing. There may be some Luke x OC, not going to lie I love that boy. And try not to diss Sian. She may be  
hipster-like but she doesn't try for it. That's just who she is, someone who looks like they're trying to be a hipster when really they just love the fashions. xD_

Sian Stanton sat reading a book on the window seat in her new bedroom at 14 Bannerman road. Downstairs her parents were getting the house in order. Her mother must have still been putting up the family portraits because Sian heard the hammer at work and her father was obviously cleaning up the dishes from that night; the clinking glasses gave that away. She sighed and put down her book. Sian had been reading the same small paragraph for at least five minutes. This was ridiculous. They move in, set up, and she starts a new school. It was always like that now; constantly on the move, starting over, and then, just as she began to get comfortable, they were on the move again. Her parents were going to spend the whole night rearranging and unpacking. Sian could only guess why this was. They weren't going to be here for long, three weeks tops. Yes, they'd be out of their 'home' on Bannerman road as quickly as they arrived and settled in. Maybe this was the reason her parents would be up all night. It wasn't as if they actually believed they were safe; that the running was over and they could finally live a normal life, in a normal house, and continue on with normal lives. Maybe her parents just wanted the place to be as cozy as possible so, even though they wouldn't be there for long, the house would feel like home. Home. Pfft. That was a funny thought. Sian didn't have a home. The girl didn't really belong anywhere. Her parents did the best they could and she was grateful for that but she wasn't dumb. Things would never be like they were two years ago. Two years of running was enough but there wasn't anything she could do about it.

Unlike her parents and despite the knot in her stomach, Sian would be sleeping tonight. Anyone could see she was tired. Not just physically, but mentally too. At least this time she was going in to school at the start of a new term, well close enough. It was the fourth day for everyone else. It was better than the middle of the year so she couldn't really complain.

Sian picked up her book from the floor at her feet and placed it on the bedside table next to the alarm clock. She plugged the clock in and looked down at her watch to check the time. Midnight already? The girl quickly set the time and her alarm for tomorrow. She gazed around the room. Boxes still full of her things were scattered around. Her parents would get on her for it tomorrow but that was alright. She'd deal with that then. Falling on her sheetless bed, the girl stared at the ceiling and wondered what it was like to belong, have a home and a bedroom that was completely hers. How would she arrange her closet? What color would she pick for her walls? Pink? Olive green? Light blue? She covered herself in the loose comforter, one of the few things she did unpack, and closed her eyes tight in an attempt to fall asleep quickly. Soon her body relaxed and she rolled over, mouth open and completely asleep...

Bang! Crash! Lightning flashed outside and rain blew through the open window. Sian sat up quickly, hand over her heart. She must have had a nightmare because her heartbeat was fast. She was cautious as she slid her feet to the floor. Running always had you on edge. _I thought I closed that. _The girl looked around the room trying to spot any sign of movement. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. Maybe it was just her imagination but she was pretty sure there was something there in the dark; something that she couldn't see and could only sense. Despite her feeling she continued on toward the window. It was extremely foggy so she could barely see past the trees in her front yard. Everything else was shadows in the light of the outside lamp posts. She wondered where her parents were. There wasn't any noise coming from downstairs and she had to admit that her parents could get pretty loud when unpacking and making the place like 'home.' Maybe they finished and they went to sleep? She doubted they were done but maybe they just were too tired to carry on. She really hoped that was the case.

Creeping toward the window she looked around before touching the lock. There was another, very prominent, flash of lightning and quickly shutting and locking it, she turned around and leaned her back on the window. She sighed as though relieved but then cringed as another bolt of lightning lit up the sky with a thunderous _bang_. The now very damp, very tired Sian returned to her bed and shut her eyes. Before she could fall back asleep though, Sian heard the window blow open again. The wind was so forceful that the glass in the window panes shattered. Bolting upright, Sian turned her head to see a shadowy figure was starting to lean over her. It wore a black cloak with the hood pulled up. It opened it's ghostly white mouth to reveal a the most loud and high pitched shriek.

Beep. Beep. Beep. The shrieking continued in a pattern that resembled her alarm clock. Wait. She opened her eyes and sat up. It was her alarm clock. Looking over to the window she saw it was closed and still put together. She heard her mother downstairs clanking pans like she was cooking. The clanking stopped and her mother began calling her name.

"Sian, you're alarm has been going off for a while, are you up yet?"

"Nearly," the girl shouted back, shutting the alarm off. It was just a bad dream. Still, she wasn't about to tell her parents that. They would just believe it was an omen and she'd be packing up all morning instead of going to school. Speaking of, she had to get ready soon.

Descending the stairs, Sian smelled bacon and eggs burning and just a few seconds after the smell hit her, the smoke alarm went off. Her mother was a really bad cook. Entering the kitchen she wrinkled her nose. The burning smell was obviously stronger in here. "Um, Mom? Where's Dad?"

Her mother was coughing and using a dish towel to wave away the smoke from the alarm. "Out in the garden pulling wee-."

"Is everything alright in here?" Her father came through the front door and ran into the kitchen. I heard the smoke detector and I just wanted to make sure..."

Sian rolled her eyes. Obviously her Dad was a little on edge. Maybe if he had gotten any rest. Her mom was usually the one who kept it together and cool. Her dad was one to panic under pressure. "Dad everything's fine. Well our breakfast didn't make it out alive but what do you expect when Mom's cooking?" Her dad stifled a laugh while her mom looked playfully offended. Even she couldn't live in denial of her terrible cooking abilities.

Her smile faded as she glanced at the time. "Oh! I'm going to be late!" She hurried to get her boots on before checking over her appearance in the mirror. Blonde hair tied up in a ponytail, yet still a wavy mess, brown eyes behind her thick framed glasses, a lovely fitted black shirt her mother picked out but promptly covered with a gray baggy unbuttoned knit cardigan, dark bootcut jeans, and now her yellow knock off Doc Martens. She looked up and put on a fake smile. Would anyone buy it?

"Nervous Sweetie?" her dad appeared in the hallway from the kitchen. Leaning on the wall he gave a look that provoked her to speak.

"I'm not nervous, I'm never nervous, I have a new first day almost every month. Why would I be nervous?" She winced. Well the way she said that was a dead giveaway. He raised his eyebrows, skeptical. She hated that face. It was his 'I can read your mind' face. And sometimes he could. "Alright I'm a little nervous."

"Don't be. You look beautiful. Especially without that hat beanie thing. But listen, keep that cardigan on alright? I gave it to you specifically to ward off those wandering eyes. Boys are a menace to society, I'm telling you." He didn't, he bought it because before moving all the time became a habit he tried to buy her happiness. She loved her cardigan.

"You were a boy once."

"Why I never! I was always a man!"

She bit her lip to keep from laughing. "Okay Dad. I've gotta go," she took a deep breath and practiced her smile for him.

"Still a bit of a stiff smile. Chin up Pumpkin. Love you much!" He followed her to the front door so he could close it behind her. Her mother called good luck from the kitchen.

"Love you too." Finally, a real smile. "Love you Mom!"

After all the goodbyes were said she had to take that first step out of the door. Looking around and pushing up her glasses. And started her journey to her new school.


	2. Chapter 2: Interrogation

**Chapter Two: Interrogation**

_Author's Note: I hope this wasn't too much rambling? I felt inspired to write another chapter so I did._

Sian's hair kept escaping her ponytail and fell in her face. Annoyed with it, she just took the hairband out. Her blonde wavy hair fell down to her shoulders and she tucked what was in her face behind her ear... again. _Maybe I should just cut it all off,_ she thought to herself. It wasn't a serious threat to her hair but she'd considered it before. Of course it was when she was walking with her binder, lost in thought that she heard it. It was a sound that pierced the cool morning air. The scream she was all too familiar with. The scream from her dream. Turning around slowly she saw it down the road. The hooded figure. Her mouth opened and closed a few times. She thought about calling for help but this wasn't the first time this had happened. She didn't know why she kept seeing him but he was everywhere. If she had called for help she wouldn't only look like a fool in front of the neighbors and they'd be out of the neighborhood in less than a day. Now that would break the moving record! The figure tilted it's head. Sian squinted her eyes and mirrored him by tilting her head as though in a semi-trance. There were voices. She and the hooded figure turned to find two boys exiting number 13. She straightened up and looked back to find the creature was gone.

She turned around and quickly continued on her journey hoping the boys wouldn't notice her. Like that was going to happen. She was the new kid living across the street and not only was she the only one outside but she had been walking in the middle of the road.

"Oi!" Sian had to stop herself from wincing but she did make a face as though she had been caught doing something wrong. Putting on that oh-so-charming fake smile, she turned around. The boys that had left number 13 ran to catch up with her. "You're the new girl right?" asked the dark skinned boy who caught up first.

"Who wants to know?"

"American? Interesting. I'm Clyde, Clyde Langer and this is Luke."

"Well Clyde Langer and... Just Luke, in America we don't like to be late to our first day of school." She turned back around and started walking, really hoped they'd take the hint. They didn't.

"Wait!" She continued walking and he and Luke hurried to catch up with her quick pace. "What's your name again?" Did this Clyde ever stop talking?

"Funny, I don't remember giving it to you in the first place." Sian had to give them the cold shoulder. She didn't make friends, they'd be a distant disappointing memory soon if they were. Having friends was too painful and being cold was the only way to keep people away.

Luke finally spoke up, "Clyde I think she doesn't want to give out her name."

"Thank you Captain Obvious," Sian muttered under her breath before stopping abruptly. "Look, if I give you my name will you leave me alone?"

"Alright," Clyde answered.

"Sian," she said before walking on again.

"Sian what?" The first boy just wouldn't give up. Luke was more quiet. Good, maybe it meant she intimated him a little. That always helped with her reputation. At least then she wouldn't a target.

"You asked my name, I gave it to you. Next time you bug someone for information, think through your negotiation."

Clyde and Luke looked at each other. Finally they were getting the hint! "C'mon Luke, can't be late again or Masterson will hold me after school!" With that, the boys ran ahead over to the sidewalk leaving Sian with so many questions that she was confident were not going to be answered. Why was she so interesting to these guys? No guys were ever interested in her and girls weren't exactly tripping over each other to be her friend either. What made her special? Maybe they knew? Maybe they saw it too! Yeah and maybe they heard it's scream and while we're in fantasy land, let's swing by the North Pole to hang with Santa's elves. Still, there was just about the same air of mystery around them as there was around her; they were equally as intriguing. Yet she didn't interrogate them in the middle of the road like they had. And before her first day of school too! As if she wasn't nervous enough. Whoever they ended up being she really hoped she wouldn't have to see much of them. She could hide in her room or her backyard and just pray that she didn't share any classes with them. Chances are they'd be moving in two weeks. That was the last interaction she'd have with Clyde Langer and Luke. Well, she can dream, can't she?


End file.
